Improvement in railway-car seats



UNITED STATES PATENT OEETGE.

lV. HORACE SOPER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY-CAR SEATS.

Speciicatou forming part of Letters Patent No. 106,739, dated August Q3, 1.870.

I, W. HORACE SorER, ofthe city of Baltimore and State oi' Maryland, have invented an Improved Reversible Gar-Seat, ot' which the following is a specification:

This invention embraces a reversible car-seat constructed upon curved metallic frames, and supported by levers attached to the apex or center of the frames, and pivoted to the central points on standards which have both their borders of the same mechanical construction. It also embraces a reversible foot-rest, formed ot' two rounds, inserted into bars which move upon trunnions, and it includes acombination ot' a movable seat and back with a fixed back.

Vhen the seat is reversed it moves under the fixed back, and that part which is the seat in one position becomes the back in the other, and vice versa. The reversal is made by a single movement, and the seat sustains the same relation to the standards on either side.

The plan and construction of the seats are clearly shown in the drawing, of which- Figure l is a perspective view of a set of the seats. Fig. 2 is a view of the outside of the standard S. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the standard S. Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the inside of the metallic seat-frame F. Fig. 5 is a view of the outside of the metallic seat-frame F, showing the stop 17. Fig. 6 is aview of the back and the side of the foot-rest bar f and a section of the rounds ot' the foot-rest l.

The standard S has both its borders of the samemechanical construction. Ithas an offset to bring the lower section under the seat-frame F, while the upper section is outside ofthe seat. At each end of the offset there is a rest, 1', which is the bearing for the stop i on the lever L; and at a central point on the standard, below the offset, there is a socket, o, to receive the rod R. The top of the standard contains a mortise, lmf, to receive the fixed back B, which is secured to the standard by screws through a lug, as shown. In the center of the brace, between the feet of the standard S, there is a socket, a', to receive the trlmnion g of the footrest l?.

Themetallic seat-frame F, Fig. et, is so curved as to give proper inclination to the seat and back. It has a lever, L, attached to the apex or center of the frame, and extended in a perpendicular direction to a line drawn between the extreme ends of the frame. The metallic seat-frame has a ange around its entire border to receive and support the wood frame of the seat and arm, as shown in Fig. 4.

On the outside of the lever L, Fig. 5, there is a stop, t', which should be covered with some elastic material to deaden the noise when the seat is reversed; but the covering is not essential. The wood frame of the seatmust be made to suit the kind of upholsterin g. It is secured to the metallic seat-frame, as shown, by screws. The arm a is made of wood, and should be cushioned; It is secured to the seat-frame by screws, as shown.

The seat-cushion C may be made with or without springs. The lixed back B may be ot' any desired width, and the upper surface may be of ornamental shape. It should be cushioned to correspond with the movable back.

The bifurcated cleat I, Fig. 1, is intended to support the middle of the seat; but it is not essential. The foot-rest bar j', Fig. 6, has two eollars on the inside to receive the rounds of the foot-rest P, and a trunnion, g, and a stop, d, on the outside. The seat is attached to the standards S S by the rod R, which passes through the standards, the cleat I, and the levers L L, and is secured by the nut n, as shown in Fig. l. The rod R is the 'ulcrum of the levers L L and the axis of the movable seat.

The stops t' fi on the levers L L find bearings ou the rests 1' fr on the standards S S. By this mechanical arrangement the seat is reversed and supported.,

In lieu of the rod R, the seat may be pivoted to the standards by trunnions, as shown in the front seat, Fig. 1.

Thefoot-restP is attached to the standards S S by the trunnions g g, which enter the sockets a: x. It is moved from side to side of the standards, and is supported bythe stops d d, which iind a bearing against the ribs of the standards, as shown in Fig. l.

This invention secures to the passenger a more comfortable seat. v It protects the seats against abuse, and it affords great facilities for cleansing the car.

I do not claim, broadly, a reversible carseat, of which the seat, when reversed, becomes the back, and vice versa; but

I claim, speciically, as follows:

l. The standards S S, constructed with offsets, as shown, and having the rests r i', situated so as to form the bearings for the stops fi i on the levers L L, which support the pivoted seat, substantially as described, and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The seat-frames F F, provided with levers L L, pivoted as shown, and having,` suitable stops i i to arrest and sustain the levers, substantially as described, and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

3. In combination with the seat supported on the frames I F, the cleat I, substantially as described.

4. A reversible carseat, when said seat is supported on levers projecting` downward and IV. HORACE SOPER.

'Witnesses GEO. T. VADDY, -(r. POWELL HILL. 

